The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-06-01
4 GREAT DISASTER.
Many People Killed by the Burning
of the Theatre ComIque In Paris.

PARIS, May D.. The Theatre comiquc took
fire tonight during the performance OF the
opera Of Mignon and many lives were lost.
There was a scene Of the most terrible excite
ment aud many people lcaped from the win-
dows in order to escape the flames Four
teen persons are known 10 be dead and forty
three are badly injured IL is probable that
many were crushed TO death IN the galleries,
but at present this is uncertain.
The fire broke out during the first act Of
the opera g Mignon.r One of the wings
caught fire from gas jet, and the entire
stage was immediately developed in flames.
The fire soon spread 10 the whole house.
Madame Mergnillier and NJ. NJ. Tasqnin and
Bernard were on the stage WHEN the fire
broke out All the actors ran out in their
stage costumes.
The audience gotouf easily. but the gas was
turned off before all had left the building,
and il is feared that some were left in the
upper tiers. The roof soon fell in, sending
showers of sparks as far as the Place dc la
Bourse. With the exception of Madame
Seller. who perishcd in the iiamesf all the
actors escaped, although several of the super
numeraries were injured.
PARIS, May 26.-The bodies of ballet dane
ers who lost their lives by the burning Of the
! Opera Comiquc last night are said TO he ly-
1 ing in heaps in the ruins ofthe theatre. The
number OF persons killed greatly exceeds the
previous estimates. An excited crowd. sur
| rounded the ruins to-day whiel, were guard
| ed by military Gordon, aud many distress
ing scenes were witnessed. At 2 p. IN. TWEEN
I ty bodies in terribly mutilated condition
were recovered from the ruins. principally
the remains of ballet girls, cboristers aud ma
ehinists. Five of the bodies were those of
elderly ladies, and one of them was that of
child. The firemen lowered some of the
bodies from the fourth story Of the theatre
men and two women were found in the stage
box, where the victims had taken refuge
from the flames II Is sascerfained that many
bodies lie buried in the debris in the upper
galleries, whence escape was exceedingly dii-
ficult
Late this afternoon the bodies of eighteen
LADIES, all in full dress, were found lying To-
getlier Al the bottom of the staircase leading
from the second story These ladies all had
escorts TO the theatre, but no remains of men
were found anywhere near where the women
were burned 10 death.
The walls OF the theatre began falling this
evening, and the search for bodies had to be
abandoned for the time being, but the work
of searching was resumed tonight, and
number more were exhumed The official
statement says that fifty bodies have already
been recovered.
NJ Reyeillon, Deputy, speaking in the
Chamber OF Deputies, this afternoon, esti-
mated that at least 2Oo persons had lost their
lives III the fire.
To-day l5e missing persons have been in
suired for by relatives. They are supposed
10 have perished IN the flames. The bottom
of the theatre is flooded with water to the
depth of five feet Sixty bodies have been
found floating in the water by the fircmen
The library attached to the theatre was
entirely destroyed with all It's contents. in
Guiding many valuable scores Sixthousand
costumes were burned Ia the wardrobe The
Opera Comique was insured for 100000
francs.
An artist named PHILIPPE performed prodi-
gies of valor in saving life He mounted
ladder three times and saved three danseises
after they had been abandoned by the fire
men
In the Rue Favart a sudden gust of wind
cleared away the dense smoke, when wo-
man and two men were seen standing in an
angle of the uppcrmost cornice. Thewoman
tried to jump, bat the men prevented her.
When all were finally rescued the woman
was raving maniac
A singer had miraculous escape from
dressing room in an angle at the top of the
building. He says that the wind kept the
flames off that part Of the building, but riv-
er of molten lead poured from the roof the
course Of which he diverted with board to
prevent the weight carrying down the shalsy
floor
The officers are endeavoring 10 underratc
the loss OF life The large number of bodies
found has alarmed rho pnbiif.